“He’s my boyfriend,” Ruth said proudly, wrapping her arm around Nolan’s.
Sue clapped her hands and pulled him in for a hug. “We’ve heard so much about you!”
“Likewise,” Nolan said. “You have a beautiful farm.”
“That would be the rest of the crew,” Jamie said, motioning toward the army of unkempt men approaching the house. “Are you sure it’s okay?”
Sue waved her hand dismissively. “The more the merrier.”
“That’s what I always say,” Clayton agreed.
Everyone gathered in the backyard, where the rest of the Abbotts were waiting—Ruth’s siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins. If Jamie thought the band and crew traveled in a pack, they had nothing on the Abbotts. There were just as many of them, maybe more.
But she’d overlooked one small detail: the Abbotts were teetotalers. Mormons, technically, though Ruth called them “Mormon-light”—no polygamy, no temple garments, no planets in the afterlife. Still, that meant no alcohol, coffee, or tobacco.
Jamie spotted the band and crew, fresh off finishing the last of their booze from the rider, staring at the drink options—herbal iced tea or lemonade. The disappointment was instant. When someone asked about beer Levi Abbott just smiled and said, “We don’t drink, but the lemonade’s freshly squeezed.” Jamie swore she saw Clayton elbow one of the guys in warning before he could complain.
It was going to be a long afternoon.
At least the food made up for it: BBQ chicken, burgers, potato salad, corn on the cob, baked beans, fried okra, cornbread, and pecan pie for dessert. The spread could have rivaled one of Birdie’s home-cooked meals, though Jamie kept that thought to herself.
Ruth sat with her parents, showing them pictures of puppy Reba, but they were far more impressed by the photos of her and Reba McEntire. “Now you’ve hit the big time,” Sue said, squeezing her daughter’s hand.
Not to be outdone, Clayton wandered into the house and returned with an old guitar. Within minutes he had everyone singing along to country classics and a few of his own. Jamie sighed.Of course he found a way to steal the spotlight.But he was patient with Ruth’s little cousins, even letting one strum the strings while he played the chords. She couldn’t be annoyed about that. Not too much, anyway.
As the singalong carried on, Nolan pulled Jamie aside. He was planning a surprise party for Ruth’s birthday—the Fourth of July—and needed Jamie to keep her busy that day. Birdie had taken care of everything back at the ranch. Jamie readily agreed. If there was one thing Ruth loved, it was celebrating her birthday.
Before the night was over Sue brought out a cake with candles already lit.
“Happy birthday!” she said, setting it in front of Ruth. “I know it’s a bit early.”
Everyone sang, Clayton the loudest of all.
By the end of the night Clayton had signed something for nearly everyone in the family. It irked Jamie how easily he became the center of attention, but he was so generous with his time she couldn’t hold it against him.
As they were getting ready to leave Ruth turned to her parents. “I have something to tell you,” she said. “I’m moving to Franklin.” She cleared her throat. “With Nolan.”
Her mother gasped and her father’s brows lifted, but before they could say anything Nolan quickly added, “She’ll have her own room, of course.”
That seemed to ease their concerns. “Well, now,” Levi said, nodding. “That’ll put you closer to home.”
“It’s still a nine-hour drive,” Sue pointed out.
“Doable,” Levi countered.
Nolan hugged them both. “Thank you for understanding.”
Levi patted his back. “Thank you for taking care of our daughter.”
The night ended on a high note, with Clayton inviting Ruth’s family to the show the next night in Oklahoma City—VIP passes included. As the musicians and crew headed back to the buses Jamie overheard someone saying it was the best night they’d had on tour.
And she agreed wholeheartedly.
After incredible shows in Oklahoma City, Dallas, and Little Rock, they were now bound for Nashville.
Shorty had purposely stacked the schedule with back-to-back dates, knowing a day off at home would only throw off the tour’s rhythm. Too many distractions. Too many temptations. So he’d laid down the law—no one was leaving their buses until the tour was over.
The moment they crossed into Nashville’s city limits Jamie’s emotions tangled. She was relieved the tour was ending—of course she was—no more being trapped on Clayton’s bus, no more tension thick enough to choke on. But as much as she’d been counting down the days, now that it was here she wasn’t sure she was ready.
